OPINION | Pragmatism Over Promises: Lessons from IBC, WSBW, and SDSS 2025

The past weeks of discussions at global forums, from IBC in Amsterdam to WSBW and SDSS in Paris, painted a vivid picture of where the space and defense industry stands, and more importantly, where it is heading. What emerged across these gatherings is not just a collection of incremental updates, but a sense of an industry at a crossroads: caught between scaling commercial innovation and addressing hard security realities.

The Convergence of Commercial Satellite Communications

One of the clearest signals from IBC 2025 was the accelerating role of commercial satellite communications in shaping global connectivity markets. The discussion no longer revolves around raw bandwidth alone; satcom is being redefined by the pressures of scale, cost, and integration with terrestrial networks.

A few trends stood out strongly:

• Integration with 5G/6G ecosystems: Commercial satcom operators are aligning with telecom players to ensure seamless handovers between satellite and terrestrial infrastructure. This hybrid approach is essential for global coverage, particularly in remote or underserved regions.

  
  

• Move toward standardization: The industry is slowly breaking away from proprietary systems. Open standards and interoperability are gaining traction, lowering barriers for new entrants and enabling service providers to plug into broader digital ecosystems.

  
  

• Shift to flexible, software-defined payloads: Operators are investing in satellites that can be reprogrammed in orbit, allowing them to dynamically redirect capacity, serve high-demand regions, and adapt to shifting market needs without waiting for new launches.

  
  

• Market expansion beyond traditional customers: Enterprises, mobility markets (aviation, maritime), and even consumer broadband are pushing demand for more reliable and affordable satcom services. Operators are racing to tailor offerings for each of these verticals, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.

  
  

Taken together, these developments position commercial satellite communications as the connective tissue of the digital economy. The winners will be those who balance affordability with resilience and who can integrate seamlessly into a future where terrestrial and orbital networks operate as one.

From Paris: A Strategic Reset in Space and Defense

If Amsterdam hinted at the commercial momentum of satellite connectivity, Paris made it abundantly clear that the center of gravity in space is shifting toward defense-driven demands.

At both WSBW and SDSS, the contrast between voices was stark:

• Armed forces leaders spoke with rare candor, laying bare operational frustrationshigh-latency comms in live theaters, fragile interoperability between allies, and constellations that falter under contested conditions.

  
  

• Commercial operators, on the other hand, acknowledged these issues only obliquely, preferring to emphasize technological roadmaps rather than current shortfalls.

  
  

This divergence matters. It signals that the industry is still grappling with a trust gap between those building technology and those whose lives depend on it in the field. The lesson is simple: end-user feedback is no longer optional; it is the fastest accelerant of innovation. Defense customers have shifted from being passive buyers to active co-shapers of requirements. Companies that embed this dialogue into their R&D cycles will set the pace; those who retreat to generic offerings risk irrelevance.

Hotspots of Opportunity

The Paris discussions also crystallized where real growth lies. Beyond the usual buzzwords, four areas stand out as strategic opportunity zones:

Opportunity Area	Why It Matters Now	Emerging Playbook
Earth Observation (EO) - Dual Use	U.S. budget cuts are squeezing climate programs, but driving EO startups to pivot toward defense demand for ISR, logistics, and disaster response.	Build dual narratives: climate resilience for civil markets + real-time battlefield intelligence for defense.
Satellite Communications - Trust & Resilience	The race is no longer about bandwidth. It’s about sovereignty and redundancy. Defense buyers want jam-resistant, sovereign-controlled networks.	Prioritize anti-jamming, cross-orbit redundancy, and sovereign partnerships over raw capacity.
Space Situational Awareness (SSA) & STM	LEO congestion + military space posturing are elevating SSA to a national priority. Alliances want pooled systems, but also independent assets.	Develop interoperable, scalable SSA solutions that can plug into both national and alliance frameworks.
Media-Tech as a Strategic Enabler	While underexplored, hybrid broadcast systems that blend civil + defense roles are gaining attention as tools of information security.	Invest in resilient broadcasting models designed to withstand cyber and orbital disruptions.

Challenges That Cannot Be Ignored

The promise of these opportunities is tempered by structural frictions:

Challenge	Why It’s Critical	Underlying Risk
Fragmented Standards	Lack of interoperability across comms, EO, and SSA limits joint resilience.	Allied operations remain vulnerable to disruption.
Funding Volatility	U.S. cuts reverberate across global supply chains, especially EO.	Startups reliant on public programs may face consolidation or collapse.
Geopolitical Pressure	Export controls and shifting alliances complicate scaling.	Commercial players risk being caught in policy crossfire.
Deployment Speed	Armed forces want rapid iteration; industry still moves cautiously.	Creates tension between procurement cycles and battlefield realities.
Over-Reliance on Hype	Too many companies pitch visions without demonstrating resilience.	Credibility gap with defense stakeholders widens.

The Road Ahead

The next 6 to 12 months are likely to be defined by:

1. Defense-Driven Innovation: Ministries will dictate tech roadmaps more directly, pulling commercial players into their orbit of requirements.

2. SSA & EO Consolidation: Expect mergers and strategic partnerships; scale and interoperability are now prerequisites to win contracts.

3. Hybrid Platforms Dominate: Dual-use systems, satcom, EO, broadcast, that straddle civil and defense markets will see accelerated adoption.

4. Procurement Rewired: Watch for experimentation with faster acquisition models, from “capabilities-as-a-service” to venture-style funding by defense agencies

   
   

Final Word

Paris didn’t just showcase the state of the space industry; it revealed a strategic reset. The winners will not be those with the flashiest slides, but those who:

• Close the trust gap with end-users.

• Invest in resilience over hype.

• Embrace sovereignty-driven realities while staying interoperable.

• Pivot quickly between civil and defense markets.

  
  

The industry has entered a phase where pragmatism and speed matter more than projections and promises. And in this new era, those who adapt fastest will define the next decade of space and defense.

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About Author

Omkar NIKAM, Founder & CEO, Access Hub

Omkar is a consultant, analyst, and entrepreneur with over a decade of experience advising governments, space firms, defense agencies, aerospace, maritime, and media technology companies worldwide. At Access Hub, he shapes the vision, strategy, and global partnerships, positioning the platform at the crossroads of innovation and business growth.